Sorry for the delay. But here are ALL of our pictures from the trip!
Much Love.
Gautam & Katie.
-------------------------------------------
Our first stop on this adventure was Kochi (via a quick 24 hours in Delhi) Father Joe was there to great us at the airport and give a glimpse into what local life in Kochi is like.
[Pictures from Kochi]
After 3 days in Kochi, we drove 7 hours south to Poovar. Poovar is almost at the tip of the sub-continent. We stayed in a floating cottage on the water, accross from a small fishing village. The area is called the "back-waters" - were the fresh water meets the sea.
[Pictures from Poovar]
Next up. Kovolam. A cool beach town 30 km north of Poovar.
[Pictures from Kovolam]
Finally, we had to say good bye to the gorgeous (and delicious) south and returned to northern India. After a day resting in Delhi, we took a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal! No matter how many times I see it, it is still absolutely breath taking.
[Picture from the Taj Mahal]
That concluded our travels around India. The remaining portion of the trip we chilled in Delhi, hung out with family, and prepared for my brothers wedding.
Here are just some random pictures from hanging out:
[Picture Chillin in Delhi]
The day before the wedding, the mendhi was held. Where the bride and girls get intricate henna designs on their hands. The bride gets both hands and feet done. It is meant to symbolize the bond and happiness between the new couple. The darker the henna, the stronger the love/happiness/marriage.
[Picture from the Mendhi]
The actually wedding ceremony was the next morning. It was a small ceremony held in my aunts living room. The ceremony took about 90 minutes, despite my aunts pleas to the pundit to hurry up.
The ceremony is complete, once the bride and groom take 7 steps around the fire, repeating the following vows (taken from Wikipedia - may not be perfect)
"We have taken the Seven Steps. You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share the joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. May the night be honey-sweet for us. May the morning be honey-sweet for us. May the earth be honey-sweet for us. May the heavens be honey-sweet for us. May the plants be honey-sweet for us. May the sun be all honey for us. May the cows yield us honey-sweet milk. As the heavens are stable, as the earth is stable, as the mountains are stable, as the whole universe is stable, so may our union be permanently settled."
[Pictures from the Wedding]
The day after the wedding we did some site seeing around Delhi. We saw Humayans Tomb, Qutab Minar, India Gate, and Parliment.
[Pictures of Delhi Sites]
On the final weekend, we celebrated Holi. It's partly a Hindu religous festival, partly a spring harvest festival, and partly a big party. I've never been in India for Holi, but have only heard how much fun it is. Part (most) of the celebration involves throwing colors. Which in itself is a hard concept to grasp, you might ask...how are colors thrown? I wondered the same thing. These pictures below should give you a better understanding of how to "play Holi."
[Pictures from Holi]
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wrap it Up
Well we're back!! As of last Thursday morning actually. It's hard to believe it's been almost a week. Not sure many people will read this last post, but hopefully Praerna Kartha does because I promised her I would write when I got back! I think I went through a state of withdrawal on my last day before I had even left. I couldn't imagine being back in the US after such a long and amazing trip. For a second I thought "could we move here?" I mean, of course I hadn't run this by G and I have no idea what we would do there, but I just wasn't ready to leave! I had forgotten what life in the US was like. I'm pretty positive I could live in on the beach and run a yoga studio or something, but alas, my family would miss me too much.
As you can tell, my trip to India was absolutely unforgettable. Of course it won't be my last, but there is nothing like a first trip to a new land. I miss G's family already, we had so much fun and they were so amazing and welcoming. It's amazing how close his bonds are with these family members when they live so far apart. And I miss Father Joe too, I still can't get over how awesome it was to spend time with him in Kochi. I hope to be back and to drag my brother next time to see Father Joe! We might need to bring a cordless air conditioner for him to walk around with, but I think he'll survive :)
The rest of our time after the wedding went very quickly but we fit in a lot and had no shortage of fun. On Saturday we did some sight-seeing and saw some sweet sights. First we went to Humayun's tomb. Humayun was another member of the Monghul empire. I think I almost liked Humayan's tomb better then the Taj, but don't tell anyone. It was a mix of marble and sandstone and it was just a beautiful contrast. The grounds were also pristine and beautiful and had various other tombs and small mosques on it. After there we went to India Gate (an enormous marble gate that was a gift to the British for a visit by the Queen I think), drove past Parliament and the President's house, and had some kebabs. Our last stop was Qutub Minar which I thought was just a measly tower but happened to be the most ornate and beautiful tower I've ever seen. The grounds there were, full of ruins and other tombs. You could almost imagine it as it was in the 1500's.
Sunday was Holi, the festival of colors!!! Oh I forgot to mention, G will be posting pics of all this stuff since he's lacking on the blogging :) Apparently our celebrating was tame compared to what some others do, but I thought it was awesome! You just wear clothes you don't care about ruining, drink, and throw colors everywhere! It mostly in a powder form, but you can also dissolve it in water and use that for water guns. Insanely fun time. Other than that, we did some shopping in the markets and got some great souvenirs, and saw a LOT of Delhi just by driving. From one side of the city to the other to get from place to place. In sum, I am still reeling from our trip, I am sincerely grateful to Gautam for showing me his home country and sharing his family with me, and I can't wait to go back!!
Thanks so much to everyone who read and commented, we really appreciate it!!
Love,
Katie and G
As you can tell, my trip to India was absolutely unforgettable. Of course it won't be my last, but there is nothing like a first trip to a new land. I miss G's family already, we had so much fun and they were so amazing and welcoming. It's amazing how close his bonds are with these family members when they live so far apart. And I miss Father Joe too, I still can't get over how awesome it was to spend time with him in Kochi. I hope to be back and to drag my brother next time to see Father Joe! We might need to bring a cordless air conditioner for him to walk around with, but I think he'll survive :)
The rest of our time after the wedding went very quickly but we fit in a lot and had no shortage of fun. On Saturday we did some sight-seeing and saw some sweet sights. First we went to Humayun's tomb. Humayun was another member of the Monghul empire. I think I almost liked Humayan's tomb better then the Taj, but don't tell anyone. It was a mix of marble and sandstone and it was just a beautiful contrast. The grounds were also pristine and beautiful and had various other tombs and small mosques on it. After there we went to India Gate (an enormous marble gate that was a gift to the British for a visit by the Queen I think), drove past Parliament and the President's house, and had some kebabs. Our last stop was Qutub Minar which I thought was just a measly tower but happened to be the most ornate and beautiful tower I've ever seen. The grounds there were, full of ruins and other tombs. You could almost imagine it as it was in the 1500's.
Sunday was Holi, the festival of colors!!! Oh I forgot to mention, G will be posting pics of all this stuff since he's lacking on the blogging :) Apparently our celebrating was tame compared to what some others do, but I thought it was awesome! You just wear clothes you don't care about ruining, drink, and throw colors everywhere! It mostly in a powder form, but you can also dissolve it in water and use that for water guns. Insanely fun time. Other than that, we did some shopping in the markets and got some great souvenirs, and saw a LOT of Delhi just by driving. From one side of the city to the other to get from place to place. In sum, I am still reeling from our trip, I am sincerely grateful to Gautam for showing me his home country and sharing his family with me, and I can't wait to go back!!
Thanks so much to everyone who read and commented, we really appreciate it!!
Love,
Katie and G
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wedding and Such!
Yes, I know, it's been a week since we posted and I feel really bad! I thought being back in Delhi we would have more time but it's been quite the opposite. Mainly because of wedding preparations, there has just been so much running around to do. But obviously we have sprinkled in lots of fun throughout, and truthfully the running around is pretty fun too because we get to see ALL different parts of Delhi.
I think we left off in Kovalum. My last blog post was written from the deck of the infinity pool at the hotel we were staying at (The Leela). The hotel was AWESOME! Still on the beach like Poovar, but different in that Kovalum was more of a resort and vacation-type area so the contrast between the two was nice. G and I splurged a little which made our stay there that much more enjoyable. The day we got in we went to Hawa Beach to a restaurant that Father Joe recommended because one of his good friends, Geemon, works there. Geemon is originally from Kochi which is how they know each other...his family lives near the monastery. Geemon did not disappoint. Nor did his restaurant, Swiss Cafe, for that matter. We loved lunch so much that we went back for dinner. Except as we left for lunch, Geemon let us put in a special order for jumbo prawns (seriously almost as big as lobsters) that were caught that day!! Can't even describe now awesome they were. Also on Hawa Beach we put to use our bargaining skills (G is pretty good) and played in the water. The rest of our time in Kovalum was spent at the hotel enjoying the pool and just chilling. I did yoga both mornings there because the yoga studio at the ayurveda was completely open and overlooked the ocean. Most amazing spot I've ever done yoga!
Switching gears back to Delhi...as for the wedding, the mendhi (during the day the women get their henna painted on, and at night there's a party) was yesterday and then the wedding was this morning. The mendhi was at Ranju Bua's and the wedding was at Kusum Bua's so they both had all the comforts of home which is awesome. This morning, Adrienne went to the salon in the morning to get her hair and make-up done and then some of us met her and got our sarees draped...this is not an easy task if you're not a frequent saree wearer (9 yards of fabric has to be wrapped around you) so the assistance is much appreciated! The ceremony was awesome. I've only ever been to one other Indian wedding and we were too far away from the pulpit to hear anything. Also, the rituals are cited in sanskrit, which I don't understand, but the pundit (priest/minister) today did a really great job of explaining the important parts in English. The messages were symbolic and related to the combining of two separate matters (water, fire, etc) to make one matter. We'll give some more color on the ceremony later, and pics are to come tomorrow morning, but we are running on so little sleep right now that I don't think I can't sort through the pics as of now! Anyway, glad to be back on the board, hope everyone is well :)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Kochi and Father Joe
Well, a LOT has happened since the last time I posted. I always hope for more free time, but i guess it's not a bad thing that our hours are full and exciting! So I was incorrect...I initially said Father Joe had been in India for 12 years and as G mentioned, it has been 15! Before he moved there, he specified that he would be willing to stay maybe for 2 years but probably not any longer. I think India surprised him and you can just see how much he loves it and how much India loves him.
Father Joe is an integral part of the Van Leeuwen family. He married my parents in 1974, and he's about to marry my cousin Craig in June, 37 years later. Amazing. Although he has lived in India for so long, we still see him very often.(almost yearly) and always has the best stories to tell about India. So seeing his life here first hand and witnessing the service he has provided to so many people for so many years and those whose lives he has touched is inspiring. People love and know him because he loves them. And as G mentioned, he knows everyone. He showed us an awesome time in Kochi. The night we arrived, he showed us all around the monastery which is so cool, very beautiful and picturesque, albeit simple. The simplicity was the best part about it. It just reminds you that all this stuff we have isn't always necessary, and just helps you take a step back. This is a picture of the three of us at an awesome restaurant he took us to at the Harbor Hotel in Fort Kochi the first night.
We ate outside in the garden, the only lighting was lights hanging from trees, and there was a traditional Indian band playing across the pool. It was a three-piece band, all members seated on the ground, two types of drummers and someone playing a harmonium (?), an accordion type instrument. After a good night's sleep, I went to mass in the morning in the new chapel (below). Father Joe worked for so many years to get this chapel built, his name is on the plaque outside, and rightfully so, he and everyone in the parish are so proud of it.
The next day (Monday) was full of sight-seeing all around Kochi, and Father Joe had more energy than G and I combined. We were exhausted at the end of the day! But in a very fulfilling way. The next day (Tuesday) was left open so after a leisurely breakfast, we decided to go to Cherai Beach, where another Passionist parish is located that also has a new, beautiful chapel. The monastery there has an awesome goat named Mary who is like a dog. She deserves a shout-out.
Cherai Beach is a small fishing village with gorgeous beaches and warm ocean water on the Arabian Sea. After playing in the waves, Father Francis took us to an oceanside restaurant for a late lunch with the freshest seafood around. Not the first or last time we have had unbelievably delicious and freshly caught seafood. After a late dinner, we retired for the night and packed, as we were headed to Poovar the following morning. Here is where we stayed in Poovar.
www.poovarislandresort.com
Full of nature and beauty. We stayed in a floating cottage and sat outside listening to the waves crash at night. More about Poovar and Kovalum (where we arrived today) next post!
Father Joe is an integral part of the Van Leeuwen family. He married my parents in 1974, and he's about to marry my cousin Craig in June, 37 years later. Amazing. Although he has lived in India for so long, we still see him very often.(almost yearly) and always has the best stories to tell about India. So seeing his life here first hand and witnessing the service he has provided to so many people for so many years and those whose lives he has touched is inspiring. People love and know him because he loves them. And as G mentioned, he knows everyone. He showed us an awesome time in Kochi. The night we arrived, he showed us all around the monastery which is so cool, very beautiful and picturesque, albeit simple. The simplicity was the best part about it. It just reminds you that all this stuff we have isn't always necessary, and just helps you take a step back. This is a picture of the three of us at an awesome restaurant he took us to at the Harbor Hotel in Fort Kochi the first night.
We ate outside in the garden, the only lighting was lights hanging from trees, and there was a traditional Indian band playing across the pool. It was a three-piece band, all members seated on the ground, two types of drummers and someone playing a harmonium (?), an accordion type instrument. After a good night's sleep, I went to mass in the morning in the new chapel (below). Father Joe worked for so many years to get this chapel built, his name is on the plaque outside, and rightfully so, he and everyone in the parish are so proud of it.
The next day (Monday) was full of sight-seeing all around Kochi, and Father Joe had more energy than G and I combined. We were exhausted at the end of the day! But in a very fulfilling way. The next day (Tuesday) was left open so after a leisurely breakfast, we decided to go to Cherai Beach, where another Passionist parish is located that also has a new, beautiful chapel. The monastery there has an awesome goat named Mary who is like a dog. She deserves a shout-out.
Cherai Beach is a small fishing village with gorgeous beaches and warm ocean water on the Arabian Sea. After playing in the waves, Father Francis took us to an oceanside restaurant for a late lunch with the freshest seafood around. Not the first or last time we have had unbelievably delicious and freshly caught seafood. After a late dinner, we retired for the night and packed, as we were headed to Poovar the following morning. Here is where we stayed in Poovar.
www.poovarislandresort.com
Full of nature and beauty. We stayed in a floating cottage and sat outside listening to the waves crash at night. More about Poovar and Kovalum (where we arrived today) next post!
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Land of Coconuts
Greetings from Kochi, the city formally known as Cochin. As our flight was landing, all you could see for miles & miles were rows & rows of Palm Trees. Later we were informed that they were Coconut Trees. I'm not sure what the exact difference is?
Turns out there was a dignatory or minister arriving at the same time, and there was a huge arrival party waiting at the airport, complete with a band. They were playing drums and blowing horns constantly, it was very festive. (see horns below - the are so thin but made a huge sound)
Were greeted by Father Joe - and after giving me a hug, the first thing he said (jokingly) was "Do you like the band I arranged for you!" I thanked him for arranging the band & picking us up and then we jumped in the car and drove back to the Monastery.
On arrival he gave us the grand tour, including the absolutely beautiful Chapel that he was in charge of building. I plan on taking some nice (artsy) pictures during morning mass on Ash Wednesday. Katie went to mass on the first morning at 6:45AM, but that was just a little too early for me on Day 1.
The grounds of the monastery have a ton of coconut trees, banana trees and a huge mango tree. The coconut tree used to produce so many coconuts that they had extra to sell. Now the number of people here has grown large enough, that they are consumed on site. The banana tree has clumps of mini bananas, that are so delicious and sweet. I wanted to eat 10 of them for breakfast, but limited myself to 2. The mango tree has dozens of mangoes on it, but they arent ripe yet.
Father Joe has been an AWESOME host. He has taken us around town and given us a glimpse into how the locals live. We have taken auto rickshaws (aka autos, 3 wheelers, tuck tucks) around everywhere. We even hoped on a city bus for a bit and took commuter ferry across the bay.
And it's amazing wherever we go, everyone knows him. From young people to old people. From restaurant and hotel owners, to waiters, cab drivers, shop keepers, vendors and fisherman. A man on a motorcycle stopped driving, pulled over, and took off his helmet to say hi to him and shake his hand. It's absolutely incredible. There are about 1.5 million people in Kochi, and it has only taken him 15 years to know all of them! And they genuinely care about him and were all very eager to meet us.
We've seen a nice mix of sites and local life. We've also had some pretty nice meals. All the dishes here are made with coconut. I had this great lentil pumpkin coconut for dinner the 1st night. I think it might be my new favorite food. I'm going to have to try and replicate it when I get home. We also tried banana pie, cinnamon ice cream and coconut ice cream. Seriously, I think I'm going to for coconut in my omelet tomorrow morning. It's everywhere!
Editorial Note: The pictures provided in this post are courtesy of Google Images. We haven't really had time to upload any pictures, but still wanted to provide some visuals. I'll make sure to get some of our pictures up here soon.
Turns out there was a dignatory or minister arriving at the same time, and there was a huge arrival party waiting at the airport, complete with a band. They were playing drums and blowing horns constantly, it was very festive. (see horns below - the are so thin but made a huge sound)
Were greeted by Father Joe - and after giving me a hug, the first thing he said (jokingly) was "Do you like the band I arranged for you!" I thanked him for arranging the band & picking us up and then we jumped in the car and drove back to the Monastery.
On arrival he gave us the grand tour, including the absolutely beautiful Chapel that he was in charge of building. I plan on taking some nice (artsy) pictures during morning mass on Ash Wednesday. Katie went to mass on the first morning at 6:45AM, but that was just a little too early for me on Day 1.
The grounds of the monastery have a ton of coconut trees, banana trees and a huge mango tree. The coconut tree used to produce so many coconuts that they had extra to sell. Now the number of people here has grown large enough, that they are consumed on site. The banana tree has clumps of mini bananas, that are so delicious and sweet. I wanted to eat 10 of them for breakfast, but limited myself to 2. The mango tree has dozens of mangoes on it, but they arent ripe yet.
Father Joe has been an AWESOME host. He has taken us around town and given us a glimpse into how the locals live. We have taken auto rickshaws (aka autos, 3 wheelers, tuck tucks) around everywhere. We even hoped on a city bus for a bit and took commuter ferry across the bay.
And it's amazing wherever we go, everyone knows him. From young people to old people. From restaurant and hotel owners, to waiters, cab drivers, shop keepers, vendors and fisherman. A man on a motorcycle stopped driving, pulled over, and took off his helmet to say hi to him and shake his hand. It's absolutely incredible. There are about 1.5 million people in Kochi, and it has only taken him 15 years to know all of them! And they genuinely care about him and were all very eager to meet us.
We've seen a nice mix of sites and local life. We've also had some pretty nice meals. All the dishes here are made with coconut. I had this great lentil pumpkin coconut for dinner the 1st night. I think it might be my new favorite food. I'm going to have to try and replicate it when I get home. We also tried banana pie, cinnamon ice cream and coconut ice cream. Seriously, I think I'm going to for coconut in my omelet tomorrow morning. It's everywhere!
Editorial Note: The pictures provided in this post are courtesy of Google Images. We haven't really had time to upload any pictures, but still wanted to provide some visuals. I'll make sure to get some of our pictures up here soon.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
First Day in Delhi, now in Kerala!
We have settled in and I finally have some time to blog! As G mentioned, we only had a day in Delhi and none of it involved having time in front of a computer! After landing and being greeted by G's cousin, Praerna, her husband, Arjun, and Praerna's mom (G's aunt) Ranju Bua, we headed home, had a "snack" (the amazing Indian cuisine feast begins!) and some tea (tea is something that happens about 5-6 times a day the experience of which I love), and retired to bed at 5am. We woke at 1:30pm and walked down the street to G's other aunt's house (Kusum Bua) for lunch. The 3 block walk was exciting to say the least! Although this is sort of a gated neighborhood, on one vacant lot we saw 4 cows grazing, and on another vacant lot was a mother boar and her "boarlet"? litter. That was a site and it was clear she did not want us to get too close at all. G's grandma, Daddima, lives with Kusum Bua so after two years of hearing about his wonderful grandmother, I was finally able to meet her. She has as much grace and wisdom as I would have imagined. I must say that all of G's family is absolutely wonderful, hospitable, welcoming, and serves the most amazing food! This trip certainly wouldn't be the same without the comforts of his family.
After lunch we went shopping for Adrienne's wedding saree (which I think we found!) and a saree for me as well. Saree shopping is an awesome experience. You sit down at long tables with chairs, describe the what color and material you are looking for, and then the shopkeepers just start bringing beautiful nine-yard long swaths of fabric. It can be overwhelming, but I was able to identify a beautiful purple saree for the wedding. We dropped it off at the tailor to be made into a saree (they have to cut off part of the fabric to make the blouse that you wear under the material you drape around you). After that it was time to head back for dinner. Yet more amazing food. G says he somehow loses weight when he comes to India, but I don't see how that's possible! Before heading back, we stopped to get some money. I hadn't yet gotten any rupees and felt weird about not having any cash. We went to the ATM, and although I was able to select "English", I had to specify the amount in rupees I wanted to withdraw. In my haste of trying to convert dollars to rupees to tell the ATM how much money I wanted, I ending up withdrawing the equivalent of $16 USD. India is inexpensive, but I don't think that's going to last me 3 weeks! Gotta get that conversion going in my head a little faster. I blame it on the jetlag. Anyway, we have reached Kerala and are at the monastery with Father Joe. It's only been half a day, but the experience so far has been breathtaking. I want to write more when I have more time to do it justice. It is somewhat indescribable being here with my great uncle and seeing the life he has been living for 12 years. G is gathering his thoughts and will blog in the next couple days. Also, pictures are to come. Thanks for reading!
After lunch we went shopping for Adrienne's wedding saree (which I think we found!) and a saree for me as well. Saree shopping is an awesome experience. You sit down at long tables with chairs, describe the what color and material you are looking for, and then the shopkeepers just start bringing beautiful nine-yard long swaths of fabric. It can be overwhelming, but I was able to identify a beautiful purple saree for the wedding. We dropped it off at the tailor to be made into a saree (they have to cut off part of the fabric to make the blouse that you wear under the material you drape around you). After that it was time to head back for dinner. Yet more amazing food. G says he somehow loses weight when he comes to India, but I don't see how that's possible! Before heading back, we stopped to get some money. I hadn't yet gotten any rupees and felt weird about not having any cash. We went to the ATM, and although I was able to select "English", I had to specify the amount in rupees I wanted to withdraw. In my haste of trying to convert dollars to rupees to tell the ATM how much money I wanted, I ending up withdrawing the equivalent of $16 USD. India is inexpensive, but I don't think that's going to last me 3 weeks! Gotta get that conversion going in my head a little faster. I blame it on the jetlag. Anyway, we have reached Kerala and are at the monastery with Father Joe. It's only been half a day, but the experience so far has been breathtaking. I want to write more when I have more time to do it justice. It is somewhat indescribable being here with my great uncle and seeing the life he has been living for 12 years. G is gathering his thoughts and will blog in the next couple days. Also, pictures are to come. Thanks for reading!
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